Six people died of drug overdose at the wildly popular Future Music Festival Asia 2014, forcing the organiser to cancel its show last night.
The dead were Kamal Zekry Kamal Basha, 21, Victor Wong E. Hern, 25, Sabreena Kamarudin, 21, M. Suresh, 27, Syazana Sohaime, 23, and Nor Faizza Mohd Wazir, 26.
City police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Mohmad Salleh said at the Friday night event in Bukit Jalil, nine people collapsed after consuming methamphetamine at around 1.30am.
One man died at the venue while another died on the way to hospital. Four others – another man and three women – died at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM).
Three others remain in critical condition at the hospitals. All, including two Singaporeans, were aged between 19 and 28.
“All tested positive for drugs and the deaths have been ruled as overdose,” SDCP Mohmad Salleh told reporters here yesterday.
The three-day festival, featuring international acts like Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pharrell Williams and Rudimental, had been rocked by reports of drug abuse among the concert goers with police detaining 22 people, including 15 foreigners, for possession of drugs such as ecstasy and marijuana.
In a statement, event organiser Livescape Asia said it had attended regular meetings with enforcement agencies and had certified on-site medical doctors and paramedics.
“In the interest of public safety, we heeded the authority’s advice not to proceed with Day 3. This is also to help in investigations,” it said, adding that details of refunds would be announced within a week.
News of the cancellation was met with dismay by lawyer Michelle Yesudas, 26, who braved the traffic jams to see her favourite electro dance music acts Porter Robinson, Martin Garrix and Knife Party.
“I was still in the car when I heard the news,” she said. “I was so sad. This is the second time that I’m going to miss Porter Robinson.”
Student Ashley Chan, 19, said the deaths were unfortunate.
“It must be tragic for their families but this will remind concert goers to party responsibly,” she added.
Police have confirmed that a total of 14 people have been hospitalised as a result of suspected drug overdose during the Future Music Festival Asia 2014, which was forced to cancel on Saturday.
Kuala Lumpur deputy CID director Assistant Commissioner of Police Khairi Ahrasa said along with the three who were still in critical condition, there were 11 others who were being treated at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM), though they are in stable condition.
They were all aged between 19 and 28.
He said nine of those hospitalised were Singaporeans, the rest were from here, Myanmar, Iran and Taiwan.
“One Singaporean was discharged from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital yesterday and the rest are still seeking treatment,” he said on Sunday.
ACP Khairi added that a total of 29 people (13 locals and 16 foreigners) have been arrested on drug related charges throughout the duration of the music festival and are being remanded until March 18.
The biggest music festival in South-East Asia, featuring international acts like Pharrel Williams, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Rudimental and Knife Party, was forced to cancel on the last day of the event on Saturday, following reports that six people had died of drug overdose at the festival.
One man died at the venue while another died on the way to hospital. Four others – another man and three women – died at the UMMC and HUKM.-thestaronline
